Improvement in pile-drivers



N. I'. L'IBBY 8a P. HATCH. A 'P 1e Drivers,l

No. 199,299. Patented 1an. l5, 1.878*

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NELSON F. LIBBY AND PASCAL HATCH, OF CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PILE-DRIVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,299, dated January15, 1878 application filed April 21, 1877.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, NELSON F. LIBBY and PAscAL HATCH, both ofChelmsford, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPile- Driving Machines, which improvements are fully set forth in thefollowing specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of our invention is to lift the drop as quickly as possibleafter one stroke, preparatory to another stroke, in order to give thegreatest practicable number of strokes in a given time; also, to varythe distance through which the drop falls, in order to strike a heavieror lighter blow.

Figure l is a side elevation of our invention, with part of the framework broken away to show the drop and the method of lifting the drop bymeans of the chain provided with studs. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe same without the drop. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the drop anda part of the chain.

A A' are the two halves of the upright stationary frame of the machine,secured to the rectangular platform B, and strengthened by braces X X'.Between the uprights A A' moves the drop C, confined to a vertical pathby tongues and grooves, all in the usual manner.

A rectangular frame, D D', is pivoted or loosely tenoned to the platformB, and stands nearly upright between the braces X X'. Around chain-gearsE E' or drums, supported by the frame D D', is an endless chain, F, oneof said drums, E, being provided with pins Y, to prevent the chain fromslipping. To the chain F are attached studs Gr G', one or more. On theface of the drop, next the chain, is an ear, H, by which the studs G Gr''lift the drop when the chain gears are revolved. Now, the path of thechain is not parallel to the path of the drop, the chain being nearestto the drop when the latter is down, so that in lifting the drop thestud G or G', as it rises, gradually draws out from under the ear H, andallows the drop to fall, the distance to which the drop is lifted beingdetermined by the approach to parallelism of the frame D D' with theframe A A', the drop being lifted to its greatest height when saidframes are parallel to'each other. The angle between said frames isvaried bythe tangentscrews N N', working in nuts O O' on opposite sidesof the frame A A', and in bearings V V' on opposite sides of the frame DD', and having' secured to them bevelgears Q Q', which take into otherbevel-gears, It R', securgd to a shaft, S, supported by the frame D Apulley on the shaft S is belted to a pulley, T, provided with a winch.The pulley T, being revolved by the operator, will turn both screws N Nequally, and alter the angle between the frames.

The chaingears, and consequently the chain, are moved by thedriving-pulley I on the shaft of the lower gear E. A ratchet, K, on thesame shaft, and its pawl L, prevent the gears E E' from moving in thewrong direction, and the partly-raised drop from falling when themachine is stopped by shifting the driving-belt from the pulley I to theloose pulley M.

The bearings of the upper chain-gear may be raised or lowered by thethumb-nuts U U' on screws Z Z', attached to said bearings.

In the piledriving machines now commonly used the rope and tongs whichraise the drop have not a continuous motion, but their motion must bereversed after each fall to pick up the drop, causing considerable lossof time; and, further, if less than the whole fall of the drop isrequired, the tongs must be opened with a bar by a man standing on anelevated platform.

Our machine may be stopped without stop-` ping the engine, the drop maybe raised without reversing the engine, and the drop may be let fallfrom 'any height, without the assistance of an extra man, by theengineer 'standing on the platform B.

Instead of an endless chain, an endless belt or rope may be used.

We claim as our inventionl. In apile-driving machine, alifting-chain, i

F, moving at an angle to the path of the drop C, as and for the purposespecified.

2. vIn a pile-driving machine, alifting-chain, F, moving at a variableangle to the path of the drop C, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the drop-guide frame A A', provided with nuts OO'-, and the pivoted the ear H, the chain F, provided with studs Gohainframe D D', provided with tangent- G', Jche chain-gears E E', therratchet K, and

'screws N N', as and for the purpose specified. the pawl L, as and forthe purpose specified.

4. The combination of the tangent-screws N- NELSON F. LIBBY.

N', provided with beveLgears Q Q', and the PASCAL HATCH. shaft S, alsoprovided with bevel-gears R R', Witnesses: as and for the purposespecified. GEO. A. PARKHURST,

5. The combination of the drop C, having EDWIN K. PARKHURST.

